Since the mainstream media will likely gloss over this, it’s worth pointing out what happened on Election Day. Takatu Ferris, the MP from Te Pāti Māori, appears to have breached strict electoral rules designed to keep the vote fair and free from last-minute influence.
New Zealand’s electoral law is clear - from midnight before Election Day until 7pm on the day itself, no one is allowed to publish or share material intended to influence voters. Despite this, Ferris posted on social media urging people to “Vote — today!!” while wearing a jacket featuring the Māori Party logo.
The post caught the attention of users on X. One account, @Suitandtie9999, flagged the issue to the Electoral Commission. The Commission publicly replied, “Kia ora, thanks for letting us know. We're looking into it.”
If the Commission determines Ferris did breach the rules, it should result in consequences under the Electoral Act. Even if no further action is taken, it raises questions about whether all candidates are being held to the same standard on Election Day.
Complaints can be made directly to the Electoral Commission by emailing enquiries@elections.govt.nz or phoning 0800 36 76 56.
I’ve made this simple for you - below is a template you can use to email the Electoral Commission.
Dear Electoral Commission,
I wish to lodge a complaint regarding a potential breach of Election Day rules by Te Pāti Māori MP, Takatu Ferris.
On Election Day, Mr Ferris posted to social media urging people to “Vote —— today!!” while wearing a jacket displaying the Māori Party’s logo. This appears to breach Section 197 of the Electoral Act, which clearly prohibits any activity intended to influence a voter’s decision from midnight before Election Day until 7pm on Election Day. A screenshot is below:
I request that the Electoral Commission investigate this matter and clarify whether this constitutes a breach of the law, and if so, what action will be taken.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Kind regards,
Your name
If enough people take the time to speak up, change is possible. It only takes one minute to copy and paste the above template and send a complaint. If a large number of us do it, the Electoral Commission will be forced to pay attention. One person raising an issue can be ignored, but dozens can create pressure that cannot be brushed aside. If you care about fair elections and want the rules applied evenly to everyone, then spending two minutes to lodge a complaint is a small but powerful step towards making sure something is actually done.
It literally takes less than a minute to copy, paste, and send. If enough people do this, the Electoral Commission will have no choice but to investigate.
Thanks for the heads up. Her election was a foregone conclusion surely. The whole of Te Pati must surely crash & burn. Orini's metal health does not look good and the rest of them are only just hanging in.......the whole party is quite a bizarre side-show in NZ politics